2010 Sundance Day 4: Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine

A love story that explores the beginning of the beginning and the beginning of the end of a relationship (with seamless transitions that reflect on the past and the present), Derek Cianfrance’s debut might have taken more than a decade to make, but it was worth the wait. Today (officially day 6) I had the chance to meet up with Derek for an interview (look for it post fest), so I’m sorta of going full circle here reporting on the moment where I was floored from my first viewing of the film – the world premiere screening of Blue Valentine at the Eccles on the 24th….(here is Cianfrance with the love child in the film – in miniscule Faith Wladyka)

….I’m in awe of the film’s textures (Cold Souls‘ dp Andrij Parekh and Cianfrance devised a different plan for both the past and present sequences of their relationship) and I’m enamored by the duel tones of the film (the raw supply of ranging emotions perforates the screen – Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams offer gut-wrenching performances (there is a reason for why they attain such levels of authenticity). This is the film to beat.